Signboard hanger



Dec. 8, 1942- w. P. SCHOTT SIGN-BOARD HANGER Filed Feb. 14, 1941 Y MATTO RNEY Patented Dec. 8, 1942 2,304,743 sIGNBoARD HANGER William P. Schott, Rockville Centre, N. Y., assignor to Socony-Vacuum Oil Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 14., 1941, Serial No. 378,857

(Cl. l0-128) 2 Claims.

This invention relates to hangers for supporting sign-boards of the swinging type, such as are pivotally supported, at the top only, so that they may swing and yield to the force of the wind.

It is desirable that a swinging sign-board be free to swing about its pivotal axis, but that edgewise movements and weaving movements be prevented, since such movements result in noise and wear and are also likely to cause injury to the sign when it is made of metal coated with vitreous enamel.

One object of the present invention is to produce hangers, for the purpose in question, of simple form and inexpensive construction, which permit the sign to swing freely about a horizontal axis but effectually resist other movements. Another object is to provide for the ready attachment and detachment of the sign as occasion may require, particularly with respect to enameled sheet-metal signs provided with stiiening anges.

To the foregoing ends the invention consists in the sign hanger hereinafter described, and shown in the accompanying drawing, as dened inthe claims following the description.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a swinging sign attached to the usual supporting arm by means of hangers embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, on a larger scale, showing one hanger and the adjacent parts, and Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

The sign I in connection with which the hangers are illustrated is shown as comprising a sheet-metal body which is provided, at its upper edge, with stifening members in the form ci angle-irons II. The sign is supported by a horizontal arm I2 at the top of the usual pole I3. Two eye-bolts I4 attached to the arm I2 provide pivotal bearings for the sign, and these may be welded to the arm, as shown, for additional security, although this is not essential.

The invention resides particularly in` the means connecting the sign with the eye-bolts. For this purpose two generally U-shaped members, I5 and IE, respectively, are formed of metal strip and are interlinked at right angles and Welded together, at their meeting surfaces, so that they are united in a single substantially rigid member. In this arrangement the member I5 provides upwardly extending arms to embrace the sides of the eye-bolt, While the lower member I6 provides downwardly extending arms to embrace the upper extremity of the signboard. Since the width of the metal strip suicient to furnish the necessary strength is greater than the thickness of the eye-bolt but less than the width of the angle irons on the sign, the arms of the member I5 are bent towards each other as shown in Fig. 2, and the arms of the member I6 are bent somewhat away from each other as shown in Fig. 3.

The hanger is pivoted to the eye-bolt by a pivot bolt I1 provided with a castellated lock nut, and the lower end of the hanger is attached to the sign by a clamp bolt I8. Although the arms of the hanger are stiff enough to act as rigid members to control the movements of the sign, they will yield sufficiently to permit all unnecessary looseness to be removed by adjustment of the nuts on the bolts. The hanger may thus be made to lit closely, but freely, against the sides of the eye-bolt so as to resist any tortional movement of the sign and the hanger.

The clamp-bolt passes through the upper margin oi the sign, including the webs of the angle irons, and at each side of the sign washers are preferably placed on the bolt, the inner washer I9 being preferably of soft metal, such Ias lead, and the outer washer 20 of harder metal. Bushings 2I, between the washers and the arms of the hanger, ll the remaining space so that when the nut is tightened on the clamp-bolt the sign is tightly clamped between the washers, but a clearance remains between the hanger arms and the fianges at the top of, the sign. In this way the sign is rigidly attached to the hanger with the least danger of injury tot the vitreous enamel with which the sign may be coated.

The hangers act, in effect, as rigid arms or extensions of the sign to the pivotal points, so that all undesirable movements of the' sign are prevented and wear upon the parts is restricted to that unavoidably associated with the swinging movement.

I claim as my invention:

l. In combination with a sign, and an eye for supporting the sign: a hanger comprising two interlinked generally U-shaped members of metal strip rigidly secured together at their interengaging portions, .a 'pivot bolt passing through the arms of one of said members and through the eye, and a clamp bolt passing through the arms of the other of said members and through the upper margin of the sign and rigidly attaching the hanger to the sign.

2. A hanger, for the purpose set forth, comprising two interlinked generally U-shaped members of metal strip, welded together at their interengaging portions and perforated at the ends of their arms on axes at a right angle with each other.

WILLIAM P. SCHOTT. 

